The present invention relates to cameras.
In particular, the present invention relates to that type of camera which is capable of automatically making a series of photographs as well as making single photographs at the option of the operator, with the interval from one photograph to the next during the continuous operation being predetermined.
One of the drawbacks of conventional cameras of the above general type resides in the fact that the film in the camera must be advanced and the shutter must be cocked before an exposure is made. For example even with cameras which have conventional automatic film-advancing structure, if it is desired to make a bulb exposure it is first necessary to carry out a film-advancing operation after the shutter release member has been restored and the shutter has been closed. In the case of a single lens reflex camera, it is necessary to delay the operations until after the lapse of time required for the mirror to swing down to its normal position.
As a result, with such conventional cameras it is essential to set into the camera a relatively long pause time which starts when the shutter release member has been restored and ends at the beginning of a film-advancing operation. Such extremely long pause intervals are disadvantageous when the camera is operated continuously to make a series of exposures because the speed of this type of operation is necessarily reduced undesirably. If the interval from one exposure to the next during continuous operation is reduced, then with conventional cameras there is a danger that the film-advancing operation starts before the shutter closes while in the case of a single lens reflex camera there is a danger that the film-advancing operation will start before the mirror has swung all the way down to its normal position, and in this latter event there is a danger that the mirror will stop in an improper position.
In order to eliminate the above drawbacks special measures may be required in connection with making bulb-exposures, for example, such as reducing the power voltage and locking the mirror against movement.